Side effects include
by ret6840
Summary: The heating is out, and Spock is laying in bed, colder than a Vulcan should ever have to be. Jim may have a solution. But is all as it seems? I never is. Spock/Kirk WARNING: Kirk is a jerk in this. Rated T just to be safe.


Spock lay in bed, attempting to conserve warmth. The heating system had shut down earlier that day, and despite Scotty's best efforts, nothing could be done until they made a stop at the next Federation Outpost. Four redshirts were in Sickbay with colds, and those who weren't sick, almost wished they were. Sickbay is the only place where heating-blankets are allowed when officers aren't off duty. So while the expendables got to be toasty warm (how is that fair?), everyone else was stuck with hugging themselves. A few had even gone so far as to take their arms out of their sleeves and just keep them inside the body of their shirts. Although, everyone knew that Vulcans were more comfortable in high temperatures, and were extremely sensitive to cold. Even while he kept a straight face and forced his body not to shiver, every once in a while, a cold draft would blow over him, and his breath would hitch. Everyone who had noticed would look on in pity, and Spock would have to clamp his jaw to keep his teeth from clattering. So as Spock contemplated this in his cold, cold bed, he heard his door "swoosh" open. Opening his eyes, the silhouette of his Captain filled the doorframe.

"Sir?" Spock said, not letting on his confusion.

"I've heard that snuggling can help warming someone up," Kirk said, getting straight to the point.

Spock started, but hoped his Captain hadn't seen it. By the bemused quirk of his mouth, it was obvious he had.

"Come on, Spock. Let's cuddle."

"Cuddling is illogical, Captain. Why-"

"Jim."

"Sir?"

"Call me Jim, Spock. We're not on duty."

"As I was saying Cap- Jim, why would I "cuddle" with you when it will do nothing to raise the temperature?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "It will help YOU warm up, Spock."

"… I see."

"So what do you say, huh?"

_Anything to keep the cold away, _Spock thought. "Very well, but I find myself inclined to warn you, that as a Vulcan, I do not believe I will make a very good "cuddle" partner."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Spock," Kirk said with a wicked grin. He walked into the room, kicked his shoes off, and clambered right onto the bed, no hesitation apparent. Spock stared at him in fascination as Kirk lifted the covers to sidle up next to the chilly Vulcan. After a few minutes of silence, Kirk felt Spock shift in the bed.

"Jim?"

"Spock."

"… Your feet are cold." At that, Jim burst into laughter, the tension broken.

Trying to reign in the merry chuckles, Jim said, "Sorry, Spock. I promise they'll warm up soon enough."

"Very well."

"Although," Jim smirked, "They would warm up faster if we were closer together."

"I do not understand, Jim."

"Well, if my cold feet are up against yours, the combined body heat will warm both of them up faster." At that, Kirk pushed his feet up against Spock's.

Spock shivered a little, but said, "If you say so, Jim." Kirk smiled, feeling like a little schoolgirl who had just hugged her crush, and he had let her. And with Spock a little warmer, and Kirk having accomplished his goal of snuggling with him, they both fell asleep.

…But all was not meant to be.

At 2:00 AM, Jim started awake. Quickly realizing this was not his bed or his room, he whipped his head around in confusion. He nearly shrieked when his hand hit something warm and solid. Taking a calming breath, Kirk squinted his eyes at the figure laying next to him, and realized in growing horror that it was Spock. This time, he did shriek. Just a little. Spock shot up and quickly scanned the room, noticing nothing out of the ordinary, except that Jim was staring at him as if he had grown a second head, if that were possible.

"Jim?" Spock said cautiously, testing the waters.

"Spock? Why am I in your bed?!"

"You do not remember?"

"Bones convinced me to take a drug trial, and some of the side effects were Hallucinations, Disorientation, Delusion, Memory Lapse, Lack of Judgment, and Mood Swings… Wait, oh my god, did we do anything?!" Kirk whisper-screamed.

With a sinking feeling in his gut, Spock said, "No, Captain.. Although, you did seem to have an odd determination to "cuddle" with me, as you humans say."

Jim stared at him in mortification and disgust. "Sorry Spock, but I don't roll that way. I'm surprised you do."

"Vulcans cannot be homosexual, Captain. That would be illogical. The whole purpose of intercourse is to reproduce, and that feat is impossible to perform between two of the same sex."

"But Spock, you're only half Vulcan."

"Vulcan genes are dominant over Human's, sir."

"That's right, because Humans are so weak and inferior and Vulcans are soooo much better," Kirk muttered bitterly.

Spock stared at him, "Sir? It is true that Vulcans are more intelligent and logical than Humans, but we are not greater in all aspects."

"Oh, look at that! Spock the Martyr, Spock the Humble!" Kirk mocked.

"I do not understand why you are so angry, Captain."

"I can't believe you actually cuddled with me, Spock! As if I could be into you," he sneered.

"I believe you should leave so you may calm yourself and cease with such illogical negativity, Captain."

During all this, Spock had temporarily forgotten the cold, but now it was back and biting at his bare arms as his Captain flung insults every which way and that. After a lot more cursing, and a couple punches sent his way (that pathetically missed), Spock finally closed the door on his ranting Captain. Ignoring the ache in his chest and the tiny pricks of cold over his whole body, he leaned against the door, but jumped back when the freezing metal seared his skin. Drawing in a shaky breath, Spock slowly walked back to his bed, not bothering to school his emotions away. Lying down once again, this time without anyone next to him, Spock replayed when Jim had first come into his room over and over, wondering if it was, indeed, only the drug. His Captain's hurtful words came back to him, his flawless memory recapturing it all. Turning over onto his stomach, Spock closed his eyes.

The bed was very cold.


End file.
